07/26/08

The Greater Roadrunner

Greater Roadrunner

This guy (girl?) is the State Bird of New Mexico. At least one family lives in my neighborhood, and they walk on the block walls, eat lizards in the woodpile, make very interesting sounds, and just entertain in general.

This one was sitting outside my bedroom window this morning, but I could not get a photo. That will teach me to wash the windows more often!

He didn’t really want to be photographed, but let me get this one before he ran across the road and up the street, using the sidewalk!

07/16/08

Western Scrub Jay – New Mexico Version!

Have you discovered the Smithsonian’s Migratory Bird Center yet? If not, do yourself a favor and check it out.

I kind of stumbled upon it a couple of weeks ago, and cannot believe that little gem was sitting there and I did not know about it. Virtually all of us in the Southwest are in some sort of migratory bird flyway, and have a chance to observe many migratory birds. Here is a whole site devoted to them!

After a couple of days I got up enough nerve to upload a couple of pictures, but I did not expect anything to come of it. I actually got a “thank you” from Gregory Gough, the internet person there, who set up a little gallery for my pictures. Who would have thought. . .?

I love the jays that visit my yard, and expect to be fed peanuts all the time. Last night I uploaded this photo of a jay, and called it a “Western Scrub Jay,” which is what I always thought it was. But as soon as I had uploaded it, I looked at the other Western Scrub Jays posted there. “Uh, oh,” I thought, “this must be the Mexican or Gray-breasted Jay.” How embarrassing! So I sent a correction to my contact there, Gregory.

This morning he sent an email saying this guy really was a Western Scrub Jay, and told me all the details that made it so. He explained about the three different species of scrub jays, and that the desert Western scrub jays were just not as bright as the coastal Western scrub jays, which most of the other ones on the Smithsonian site are. By that time I was not really sure what this bird was, other than a jay. Now that is really embarrassing!

This afternoon I had time to check out bird call at the Cornell site. There is no question, based on CALL, this bird is a Western Scrub Jay, just a New Mexico version!

Thanks for your patience, Gregory.

If you haven’t checked out the Smithsonian site, do yourself a favor and spend some time there. And, if you have questions, contact the people there. You will have a hard time finding any nicer or more helpful people on the internet. Check out the Smithsonian’s widget on our sidebar, too.

Happy birding!

07/4/08

White Wing Dove

White Wing Dove

White Wing Dove

Most of the gardeners I know in the high desert enjoy a variety of birds. Many put out food and water for the birds, and I am one who does. I think of summer as hummingbirds and roses, and winter as junkos.

But, even in the city, there are many different birds. When I first moved to this house, I had a lot of mourning doves. I had never seen a white wing dove until I moved to Albuquerque, and I lived here for several years before being aware of them. White wing doves have a more limited distribution in the United States than do mourning doves, but where the white wings occur, they are abundant. At my house, they nest in a large pine, close to a feeding station, and it is not unusual to see nine at a time on the block wall waiting to be fed. They share the feeder with finches and smaller birds, but the mourning doves are chased off until the white wings have had their fill.

In flight, you see a lot of white. But at rest, only a slim line of white is seen along the wing. The eyes are really red, as are the legs and feet. I love the blue eye patch, and the dark line underneath the eye.

Their call has been described as “who-cooks-for-you?” Personally, I think it is much lovelier than that 😉

They actually are hunted in Texas and in Arizona.

White Wing Dove

White Wing Dove and Finch at Feeder

06/29/08

Harvest Time for ‘Bonanza’ Peaches!

Today was the day to begin harvesting the peaches. How do I know? A little bird told me!

Bird-pecked peach

As soon as the peaches almost reach ripeness, the birds begin to sample them. Some people cover their fruit trees with netting to protect the fruit from being eaten by the birds. I find it easier to pick the fruit and let it finish ripening a day or so indoors.

This is what one branch looked liked before I picked its peaches. Notice that the branch is almost horizontal from the weight of the peaches (another reason to thin the peaches after the danger of frost has past).

'Bonanza'

This is what the same branch looked liked after the peaches had been picked:

June 29, 2008

Harvesting of the peaches as they ripen will continue over the next week or two. Yummmm. . .

06/21/08

Dwarf Peach ‘Bonanza:” What to Do With the Little Peaches You Did Not Thin

Small peaches

Once the risk of a hard freeze is past, the tiny peaches need to be thinned if you want to get large fruit. Otherwise you will get a whole lot of small, but very tasty, fruit. A shame, you might be thinking. That would all depend upon what use you intended to make of the peaches.

These small peaches make wonderful whole spiced peaches to be canned for use in the winter holidays. They are first canned whole (recipe to follow). They can be cut in half and served over ice cream as a holiday dessert. They can be served alone as dessert. They can be used in a fruit compote. Halved, they make a wonderful topping for custard tartlets. Peaches this size can usually be packed 12 to a quart jar. The ‘Bonanza’ peaches will turn the syrup a wonderful shade of red.

Whole Spiced Peaches (for small peaches) – Recipe from the Ball Blue Book

Wash peaches; drop into boiling water for 30 – 60 seconds; immediately plunge into cold water. Peel fruit, but leave whole. Drop into a solution of FruitFresh or similar while all of the fruit is peeled. Be sure to wash before adding to hot syrup mixture.

For eight pounds of peaches, combine
1 cup sugar
4 cups water
2 cups honey
in a large saucepot and cook until sugar dissolves. Add one layer of peaches at a time to the hot syrup, and cook for about three minutes. Pack hot peaches into hot jars. Leave 1/2 inch headspace.
To each jar, add
1 stick of cinnamon
1/4 tsp whole cloves
1/2 tsp whole allspice
Ladle hot syrup into jars, again leaving 1/2 inch headspace.
Remove air bubbles.
Secure 2-piece lids.
Process in a water bath for 25 minutes.

When cool, be sure to store in a cool, dark spot until you are ready to enjoy these wonderful little peaches.

06/8/08

PSWD Horticulture Judging School In Palm Desert, June 7 – 8, 2008

This weekend the Pacific Southwest District had a great Horticulture Judging School and Seminar in Palm Desert, California.

Click HERE to view a PowerPoint slide show from the school/seminar.